1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of providing a synthesis technique to grow bulk quantities of semiconductor nanowires at temperatures less than 500° C.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One-dimensional semiconductor fibers are useful for many applications ranging from probe microscopy tips to interconnections in nanoelectronics. By “one-dimensional” it is meant that the fibers have extremely small diameters, approaching 40 Ångstroms. The fibers may be termed “nanowires” or “nanowhiskers.” Several methods are known for synthesis of these fibers. Included are VLS (vapor-liquid-solid) growth mechanism based laser ablation of silicon and silicon oxide species, and variations of these techniques.
In VLS growth, a liquid metal cluster or catalyst acts as the energetically favored site of absorption of gas-phase reactants. The cluster supersaturates and the material grows in one dimension. VLS mechanism has been used to grow silicon nanowires by catalytic decomposition of silane vapor on a gold metal surface. Variations of this mechanism have been used to produce other semiconductor fibers.
One variation is laser ablation. In this technique, the silicon oxide species, such as SiO2, is ablated to the vapor phase by laser excitation.